Lifeboat



N. STROCCHI ET AL LIFEBOAT Filed June 5, 1951 Z-Sheets-Sheet l 72. smccm 7 m/lha. Y'all;

awe/Wm RS 2, 1932- N. STROCCHI ET AL 1,869,523

LIFEBOAT Filed June 5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7% kroaohi.

Patented Aug. 2, 1932 UNETD STATES NATALE STROCCHI AND FRANCESCO MINARZDI, OF

navnuivn, ITALY LIFEBQAT Application filed June 3, 1931, Serial No. 541,870, and in Italy July 3, 1930.

Our present invention has for its object to provide a life-boat which will be made practically insubmergible by a suitable deck which excludes fioo-ding,-and practically incapsizable by means of a keel which by it shape and weight keep the boat balanced on any kind of wave, and a system of pulleys which will warrant the safe lowering of boat even in case of the ship being inclined at an angle of more than 45 degrees.

Our invention will now be described in one of its modifications with reference to the annexed drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of our im proved life-boat,

Fig. 2 a cross section thereof,

Fig. 3 is a detail view in section of a ring for unhooking the boat from the ropes of the tackle,

Fig. 4 a partial perspective view of seats for the shipwrecked,

Fig. 5 a front view of gangway ladder and levers for closing the part of the hatch- Fig. 6 a perspective view of the Windlass for lowering and hoisting the boat,

Fig. 7 a side view of davit, and

Fig. 8 a detail View in section of a valve for closing the passage-ways of tackle ropes.

As will be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, our improved life-boat is provided with an ordinary keel 1 of some heavy material such as metal covered wood or metal alone, and a deck 2 closing the boat completely.

On the said deck there are passage-ways 3 for the tackle ropes, hatchway 5 having an airtight closure, air tubes 6 and bulls eyes 7. Towards the stern and prow there are rings 8 for unhooking the tackle ropes, the conning tower 9 for the visibility of helmsman, the hand railing 10 leading to the ladder, a guard along the boat and two rings for towing and hoisting the boat.

On the ceiling of deck 2 lamps 11 for lighting are provided. 12 is a gangway ladder, 4 are valves for closing the passage-ways for the tackle ropes.

On said ladder, Fig. 5, operating levers 18 are fixed, which are connected by rods 14 to shackles 15 fixed with part 5 of the hatchway.

On depressing the said levers 13 the necessary pressure for watertight closure of port is provided. On the sides of the life-boat besides the bulls eyes 16 there are seats 17, and towards the bows a drinking water tank 18 and 455 a locker for food are provided.

' 'Furthermore the boat is provided with storarge batteries 19 for electric energy and complete set of nautical instruments, an hydraulic pump with a tubeof sufficient length 0 for discharge of water from one of the 211i ports 6, a fan for exhausting the foul air, and optical and acoustical signalling devices.

19, Fig. 6, is a Windlass operating the ropes 20 and 21 which are guided by grooved wheels 2 2 fulcrumed to the plan of the boat. Said windla'ss'is provided with a brake 23 for controlling unwinding of said ropes.

An electric motor 24 operating the shaft of the propeller 25 by means of storage batteries 19', and also the helm 26 of the rudder 27 is placed in the interior of the boat. Rings 8, Fig. 3 for unhooking the boat from the tackle comprise a screw plug 28 screwed on the ceiling of the boat, the said screw plug carrying, 7-5 besides the operating handle 29, a lug 30, angular in cross section adapted to be inserted in a centrally disposed recess31 provided in the base of ring 8. On screwing the plug 28 the latter compels ring 8 to unscrew and carries it outside the screwing provided on the deck 2 up to dropping it for disengaging the boat from the supporting ropes 20 and 21.

The closure valves, Fig. 8, for the passage 3% of the ropes comprise a metal block 40 which isfixed to the deck 2 and has a conic hole both on the outer part 41 and inner part 42.

44 is another. metal plug the base of which is'coveredwith a rubber cap, 43 and kept in place by a screw fixed plate 45 and forming the valve plug fixed to a pivot 46 fixed in turn to a lever 48 pivoted at 49 which for closing is attached to tooth 47.

50, Fig. 2, are pulleys so placed as to avoid impediments to the boat being lowered from a ship inclined at an angle of more than 45 degrees, so that the boat may freely slide alongside of the ship.

The davit has a rigid shaft 32 about which mi an arm 33 swings operated by an endless screw 34 driven by two driving wheels 38 constantly engaging a gear wheel 35 with which is made rigidly, by an axle, the pinion 36 gearing with pinion 37 fixed on shaft 32.

To arm 33 tackle 39 is then connected in the usual way. A supporting standard 51 placed between the bottom and the deck serves also as a support for the mast. 52 1s a pool for collecting the water.

Obviously the above described parts give only one modification of invention by way of example, and any number of variations may be made Without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:

1. A life-boat having openings in its deck, levers pivotally connected to the deck plugs carried by the levers, hooks carried by the deck for engaging the levers to hold the plugs normally engaged in the openings, a windlass in the boat and tackle ropes adapted to pass through the openings when the plugs are removed therefrom, said ropes being connected with the Windlass.

2. A life-boat having threaded openings in its deck, rings having shanks threaded in the openings, said shanks having centrally arranged recesses therein, angular in cross section, plugs threaded in the openings and having axially disposed lugs fitting in the recesses and conforming to the shape thereof,

said plugs having handles thereon to rotate the plugs and shanks to cause disengagement thereof from the openings, a Windlass in the boat, tackle ropes connecting the Windlass and rings, said ropes being releasable upon disengagement of the shanks from said openmgs.

3. A life-boat having a hatchway in its deck, a ladder in the boat adjacent the hatchway, a closure for the hatchway, levers pivotally mounted on the ladder, flexible connections between the closure and levers serving to retain the closure fixed in the hatchway when the levers are in one position of adjustment and to release the same when in other positions of adjustment.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names.

N ATALE STROCCHI. FRANCESCO MINARDI. 

